


Sugar Rush

by ereshai



Series: The Christmas Cookie Capers [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Christmas Cookies, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, M/M, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Silly, Winter Hot Tubbing, slightly cracky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-02 17:39:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5257643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ereshai/pseuds/ereshai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once again, Christmas cookies and a certain Avenging Archer do not mix.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sugar Rush

There are Christmas cookies everywhere - more than a dozen varieties on each symmetrically prepared tray - and Clint has sampled them all. At least twice. Phil blames Stark rather than Pepper for the catered treats; the conspicuous lack of gingerbread points straight to him. The absence of his favorite cookies hasn’t stopped Clint, though, and he is currently dunking a snickerdoodle in his hot cocoa - his third cup of the evening.

Clint heads back to the cookie buffet to begin his third tour of its delights - only Thor and Steve have eaten more - when Tony yells “Hot tub time!” and begins to strip. With a few whoops of joy (Clint, Thor, and Sam), the rest of the Avengers aren’t far behind him. None of them are body shy, but out of deference to their non ‘close-knit team of superheroes’ guests, they leave their underwear on before running outside and into one of the six large hot tubs situated along the terrace. A surprising number of the rest of the party follows, although much more slowly. Phil finds Pepper and they share a commiserating look.

“No hot tub for you, Phil?” Pepper asks with a slight smile. She directs the newly arrived staff, summoned by JARVIS, toward the piles of discarded clothing, and they begin to hang everything on the rolling racks they’ve brought with them. JARVIS would help them sort everything properly and have it all ready when the guests need their clothing again. She sends another group outside with armfuls of fluffy white towels and robes.

“Too much company. I prefer my hot tub time alone or one-on-one with Clint. How about you?”

Pepper shakes her head. “And leave the rest of our guests without a proper host? I wouldn’t dream of it.” She sends yet another group of waitstaff outside, this time armed with trays of appetizers, cookies, and an assortment of beverages. One of the guests, an older businessman, approaches and soon he and Pepper are engaged in thinly veiled negotiations that they will most likely end up rehashing in front of their respective boards of directors after the New Year.

Phil wanders away, out onto the terrace. His suit mostly protects him from the chilly December air and the steam rising from the hot tubs does the rest - he’s almost comfortable. All six hot tubs are full; Phil notes with amusement that most of the women still have their elaborate hairstyles intact, in stark contrast to the very informal setting. There’s a great deal of chatter and laughter, the loudest coming from the Avengers’ hot tub. Phil moves closer. Tony, Rhodey, and Bruce have their heads together, discussing something technical that Phil makes a mental note to look into later; Thor, Steve, Sam, and Natasha are playing some sort of water-squirting game, with points awarded or deducted based on what body part is hit; and Clint and Bucky are munching on handfuls of sugar cookies. They laugh when Steve gets a face full of water. Steve splashes at them and Clint raises his hands high to keep his cookies dry.

“Hey!” Clint protests. “See if I share with you now.”

“If only people were walking around carrying trays full of cookies,” Steve replies after wiping away the water dripping in his eyes. A nearby waitperson stops next to him and offers him the tray. “Thank you,” Steve says and takes a cookie. He’s about to take a bite when a squirt of water hits him right between the eyes.

“Thank you, Natasha,” Clint says loftily and pointedly takes a bite of his own cookie.

“Ten points for me,” Natasha says with a smirk, only to shriek when three separate jets of water hit her in the face.

“Ten points,” Sam, Steve, and Thor say together. Natasha launches herself at Thor, who is sitting the closest, and tries to dunk his head under the water, but he holds her off easily, both of them laughing. Steve and Sam take turns squirting them while they’re distracted, calling out their points with each hit.

Rhodey, Tony, and Bruce abandon their discussion to act as judges once Thor and Natasha start returning fire and it turns into a free-for-all among the four of them. Bucky finishes his cookies and joins in, aiming a stream of water at Rhodey and pulling him into the game, too. Clint scrambles out of the hot tub and goes to stand by Phil, apparently unbothered by the chilly air as he munches on yet another cookie. He bounces up and down on the balls of his feet and little curls of steam rise from his bare skin.

Before Phil can suggest one of the bathrobes or fluffy towels to cover him, Clint gives a violent shudder.

“I need some warm clothes,” he says, and jogs back toward the Tower, angling away from the doors leading inside. He’s a few feet up the side of the building before Phil realizes that he fully intends to _climb_ up to his floor rather than go in and take the elevator. Phil grabs a robe and dashes over before he can go any higher.

“Clint,” he says, laying a restraining hand on his husband’s ankle. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“This way’s faster. C’mon, Phil, it’s not like I haven’t done this before.” Clint pulls against Phil’s grip, but Phil stands firm.

“Setting that fact aside” - he’ll address _that_ later - “were you wet and almost naked in the middle of December at the time?”

Clint stops to think. “No,” he says slowly, “but I’ve done plenty of things wet and almost naked in the middle of December, and I’m still here.”

“Come down here.” There’s no point in arguing. Clint reluctantly drops down onto the terrace and Phil throws the robe around his shoulders. Clint puts his arms in the sleeves and ties it closed. “You have two choices: you can climb up the side of the Tower, risking a fall or frostbite,” he holds up his hand when Clint starts to speak, “or, we can go up the more traditional way. Together.”

Clint opens his mouth, then closes it again to consider that. “Together?”

“Just you and me,” Phil promises.

“I could use some warming up,” Clint says with a sly smile. “Hang on.” He pulls the flaps of the robe aside and peels off his wet underwear, tossing it to one side where it lands with a splat. “Can’t get warm with wet clothes on, right?”

“Right.”

Clint leads the way inside, sauntering through the formally-attired guests nonchalantly. He detours to grab a tray of cookies on their way to the elevator. “Don’t want to run out of energy.”

Phil privately thinks there isn’t much danger of that. They board the elevator, and if it takes multiple trips up and down the height of the Tower to get Clint ‘warmed up’, that’s between them and JARVIS’ privacy settings. They get off on Clint’s floor just in time for his epic sugar crash.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Feelstide 2015 prompt #39: Clint has a sugar/caffeine high because of all the holiday goodies, and Phil helps calm him down before he goes streaking and jumping across the tower.


End file.
